Netflix Instant Queue Diaries: Legendary

Unlike the majority of films that the WWE releases, “Legendary” is actually not too bad a flick. That’s probably because John Cena isn’t actually too bad an actor. Flanked by experienced thespians Danny Glover, Patricia Clarkson and youngster Devon Graye, this film has its moments.

Before you get too excited though, be warned. Thanks to a mediocre script, it ultimately feels like a solid made for TV movie you’d see on network television 15 years ago [albeit, with excellent production values] that fails to be convincing enough to captivate.

Graye, known to millions as the teenage version of the main character on Showtime’s “Dexter,” is solid throughout as Cal Chetley, even though he isn’t killing any small animals or hallowing in self-pity. A nerdy teenager looking to find his way, with the help of his mother [Clarkson] and estranged big brother [Cena], Chetley gets into amateur wrestling. How Chetley went from a great student with no desire to get in the ring to a headlock-administering rebel with a heart isn’t explained much. The same thing goes for the plight of Cena’s character and former amateur wrestling standout, Mike. Sure, their stories are briefly told, but with the kind of detail that would have an old lady saying, “That’s it,” before getting into a story of her own, of how movies were better when she was young.

Even the relationship between Chet and his best friend/eventual girlfriend Luli [Madeleine Martin] is handled weirdly, to the point where you don’t know what’s going to happen between the two. Some of the dialogue is charming and innocent, but after their first meeting in the film, where Chet catches her flashing a group of boys in the woods, you’ll wonder if Chet loves her or pities her the rest of the way.

Because of that, even with the mushiest montages and good supporting acting from Glover and Clarkson, it’s hard to create an emotional connection that’s needed to drive a film like this.

Nevertheless, this film has that “Karate Kid” coming of age feel to it and will induce smiles at times. Clarkson’s character desperately wants to keep her family together, while both Chetley boys desperately need something to believe in. Their stories are so different, but the way they come together, although feeling rushed, is indicative of both Graye and Cena’s chemistry together. Tough, but warm and humorous, Cena does as much with this character as one person can. It’s quite possible that if any other wrestler in the WWE played this part, big brother Chetley could have turnout as a stereotypical mess.

Unfortunately for Cena and the rest of the cast though, the pacing and overall script in the film is what does it in more than anything else.

Had the time been spent to further develop the Chetley family’s backstory earlier on and polish up the dialogue, “Legendary” could have been an independent release that scored a three-count. As it stands however, it’s a film that has a few good moves up its sleeves, but none strong enough to score a pinfall.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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